Sacrifice
by jenni3penny
Summary: "And you've suddenly found yourself on a whole new level in a game that you thought you'd already mastered. It's still wide in your pretty eyes." Van Dam, Jarry, Trager, Telford. Bit of angst, bit of fluff.


"I know you." The cultured affect in the voice that hailed a welcome on her steps was warm and too personally affectionate for her liking but the gentleness of it bought some patience when she looked over the way the other woman was watching her from behind the bars. "San Joaquin's lovely Lieutenant in the poorly rayon covered flesh. I've heard some delightful things about you."

"Out." Ally jerked her head toward the door as she caught the on duty deputy's eyes, a smile of placation laying her lips as he gave her a confused glance but did as he was told.

She teased her fingers against the bars as she walked by the cell, touching softly and knowing that Venus was watching her with a glance more scrutinizing than most would expect from her. Ally tipped her a shortly sweet smile before turning, leaning onto the bench that braced the wall opposite the cell. She let her elbows onto her knees as she dropped a glance over the picture perfectly lady-like way long legs were crossed and heels were put in place. Even the latent and still often obvious masculinity in the transgendered woman's appearance didn't cull the fact that Venus Van Dam's put together grace made her feel like only half a woman herself.

"There's just one thing I don't get, Venus." Jarry shook her head slowly, letting her hands prize together as her forearms balanced onto her knees.

"I hear you get more than enough, Lieutenant." Her voice tipped up as her head tipped to the side, a smile that wasn't as warm as it was condescending laying on prettily made up lips, "That you're not necessarily wanting for all that many things in this wide world."

Ally smirked a wicked and proud surprise into the slapped response, a coughed laugh coming off her as she nodded a slowly agreed acceptance into the accusation. "I wasn't going to be offensive. Honestly."

A sudden worried apology pouted the other woman's lips, her head shaking minutely as she rethought her words, "I do apologize. I often find it easier to precede a possible attack with a sort of verbal jab. It isn't personal. It's just the socially tragic result of my very unique history."

"The effort you put into becoming who you truly feel you are is so obviously important to you." Ally shook her head slowly, "It's a commitment every minute of the day."

"And doesn't it get tiresome?" Venus asked her with saddened softness.

"Why put yourself in a position that lands you here?" the sheriff waved toward the bars that separated them. "Why sacrifice the effort?"

A smile of knowing crept and clawed over the other woman's lips so suddenly that it backed Ally's shoulders up, her guard kicked wide awake by the squinted way Venus studied her. "I could ask you the same question in a more metaphorical manner. Could I not, Lieutenant? I don't for one moment believe that you're completely happy with the way we have to live these lives with these men – and yet you spend each minute of your day trying to find how you truly feel, regardless of how tiresome it may be."

Jarry's head cocked sidelong on a pinned up breath. "Oh, you're good."

"I'm practiced, darling." Venus tipped her head forward. "And you've suddenly found yourself on a whole new level in a game that you thought you'd already mastered. It's still wide in your pretty eyes."

Ally frowned into sadness, shaking her head slowly, "Neither of us will win anything, Venus. You know that."

"But we sacrifice the effort." The other woman's shoulders tipped into the admission of agreement, her hair a wave of darkness that shifted off her shoulder. "Don't we, angel?"

Ally ignored the weighted implication of the words. Tried to anyhow.

They crawled her skin as she shook her head and pressed up from the bench.

"I already called Chibs." She offered through the bars as she pulled her keys, making intentionally slow movements to unlock the gate. "And I've dumped the solicitation charge due to some gray areas in regards to entrapment."

Venus didn't move even a fraction in response, her eyes still heavily colored by the conversation they'd been having as she watched the door swing open. "While I appreciate the olive branch, there was absolutely no reason to call them into this."

"A lady needs a ride home, doesn't she?" Ally offered a hand to the open door, her voice intentionally lightened and warmed. "Thought you'd prefer waiting in my office."

"It is very stark in here." Venus responded with a tweak of humor that put them back onto a sort of safer ground. "The décor certainly doesn't suit me."

"In that, you are correct." Ally agreed on a near laugh.

* * *

><p>"Thanks, doll." The breathy appreciation in Tig's voice was so softly lit between them that she reflexively smiled as he passed by her, brushing a hand against her hip as he stepped into her office and completely forgot that she was alive.<p>

Jarry smirked wryly into the way Trager made himself completely at home in her office, leaning her weight into the door handle as he moved toward Venus with words too soft for her to hear. She cocked an arched half smile into the way Chibs followed up slowly behind, his face blanked and eyes tired as he stalled at the door. His hands broke to his hips as he peeked a glance inside the door and then panned her a slowly tired look.

"What's her bail?"

"Nice to see you too, Telford." She tossed back cockily.

He blinked her a sideways glance at the sass, a smile twitching his lips, "Good afternoon, Lieutenant."

"I dumped the charges." Ally shrugged it off lightly, head tipping back toward where Venus was speaking in a rapid hush to the other club member before turning her head back, noticing the way the Scot was laying a lingering and marginally feral glance down the front of her. "She's clear. Needs a ride home."

"Why?" his eyes flinched in sudden cautious questioning. "Y'just dumped them?"

"I just did." She nodded into it, catching the way he looked down the front of her all over again, his head cocking slightly as she leaned into him and his eyes raked back up to her face quickly. "Are you enjoying yourself, Scotty?"

"Well, I was." He shrugged a smirk in her direction.

"She has a better rack than I do." Ally let the words soft and low between them. "You know that's killing me, right?"

A surprisingly blushing grin flushed his face warmly, "She's got a whole lotta extra that you don't have, darlin'. Less is more, trust me."

"Prove it." She tipped at him on a leaning taunt as she stepped back into the frame, catching the steps that were drawing up behind her.

Telford braced his hand against the opposite frame, motioning the other two out of the office as he lifted his jaw at her over them, "That I can do."

"Thank you, angel." Venus' words were tucked up politely between them as she stalled, her large hand brushing Jarry's uniformed arm.

Ally just gave her a smiling nod, passing it along to Trager as well as he laid his palm against his chest in appreciation. "Drop that paperwork with the dispatcher on duty. You're all set."

"You be a gentlemen to her, Filip." Venus tossed at him sharply before letting her steps carry her smartly down the hall, Trager casting him a shrug as he back stepped to follow after. "She's a lady."

The sudden flicker of stunned and amused confusion on his face broke into a coughed up laugh as he pushed off the door frame, shaking his head slowly as he leaned into Ally's shoulder. "What sort of proof would you like, Lieutenant?"

Her eyes slimmed a little, "Pretty sure you'll come up with something on your own."

"Sure can." He just nodded her a wink, surreptitiously brushing his fingertips along her belt as he stepped away from her. "Thank you."


End file.
